Monsoon floods cut off villages, swamp farms in South Asia

Torrential monsoon rains triggered flooding and landslides that have killed more than 1,200 people in India, Bangladesh and Nepal over the past month. The floodwaters also stranded families and washed away crops.

“I could not find a single dry patch of land,” said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent’s Matthew Marek, who flew over Bangladesh to survey the damages, Reuters reported. “Farmers are left with nothing, not even with clean drinking water.”

The worst monsoon-related flooding in years has killed more than 1,200 in South Asia, news outlets report. Photo by Cathal McNaughton/Reuters

Children row a boat in the Morigaon district in the northeastern state of Assam, India on Aug. 20. Photo by Anuwar Hazarika/Reuters

The United Nations estimates that 41 million people are affected by the flooding and landslides in South Asia. Photo by Anuwar Hazarika/Reuters

Flood-affected families take shelter in front of a shop in the Jakhalabandha area of Nagaon district in Assam, India. Photo by Anuwar Hazarika/Reuters

In India, at least 850 people were killed, 150 in Nepal and 134 in Bangladesh from the monsoon and flooding. Photo by Cathal McNaughton/Reuters

Cattle graze on a thin strip of land in Saptari District, Nepal, on Aug. 14. Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

Crops were washed away and high unemployment is expected following the floods. Photo by Anuwar Hazarika/Reuters

A woman looks out from her house at a flood-affected area in Janakpur, Nepal. Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

Left:
A family is rescued from a flooded village in the eastern state of Bihar, India on Aug. 23. Photo by Cathal McNaughton/Reuters